Page 44 - Priorities #59 2014 June/July

44 “Still however big or or ambitious the projects I worked on some part part of of me me me me was was unmoved by my career Some part part of of me me me me was was always saying ‘so what?’”
SMB: Can you you tell us a a a a a little about the work that you you do with HealthRight360?
PA: HealthRight360 offers substance abuse counseling psychotherapy and medi- cal care to low-income adults throughout San Francisco I work in in an an an outpatient clinic on on Mission Street providing therapy and and case management and and running process groups for clients clients The core of the job is sitting with clients clients and talking to them about their their their lives their their their goals and their their their struggles - - with chemical depen- dency and with with the the rest of it it it - with with all the the things that keep people busy SMB: I understand that you you formerly worked for for Google can you you tell us a a a a a little what you you did for Google and why you you left to pursue counseling?
PA: I worked in Google’s Consumer Operations division from 2005 to 2009 pro- viding technical support for for Gmail Gmail users and running the Gmail Gmail Help Center for for two years Google is a a a a a a a great company - supportive rewarding and and demanding - and an an an an experience I would recommend to anyone with any any interest in in tech Still however big or or ambitious the projects I worked on some part of me me was unmoved by my career Some part of me me was always saying “so what?”
Ignoring that voice reasoning with with it it it it and pleading with with it it it it got me nowhere and and led to to me to to feel increasingly burnt out and and hopeless If you can’t be happy working at Google you should probably try something else I chose counseling because it had helped me My dad died in 2001 when I was just out of college and counseling really saved my my my life life As I talked to my my my counselor about my my my life life and what might work for me me I began to see the the process of therapy itself as something that that engaged my my heart and my my mind - that that had a a a a a a a a meaning beyond the delivery of an an incrementally better user experience In 2009 I I was desperate and needing a a a a a a big change quit Google enrolled in in a a a a a master’s program and got working on do- ing ing the right things for myself SMB: What is it that that you you appreciate most about the work that that you you do?
PA: The The more I listen the simpler things get The The surface conversation in in my office often focuses on on knocking one thing thing off and trying the the other thing thing instead how that almost worked in in the the past past but but didn’t or or or did did work work in in the the past past but but won’t now and how everything would be easier if people people weren’t so much like people people The surface conversation is very alluring But when you sit with one person week after week week and when your week week is full of client client after after client client group group after after group group family after family the stories begin to to cohere and simplify People end up in in my office because they want more more more more peace more more more more ease more more more more calm more more more more joy relief and love It’s clarifying for me People are doing the the the best they can under the the the very real pres- sure of of their their lives and I can be of of service by helping them turn again toward their their happiness